Bottle carrier



Nov. 10, 1942.

s. H. H UTAFF. JR 2,301,179

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 8, 1942 Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in bottle carriers and has for its principal object the provision of a device of the character described which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and which may be easily retained in a sanitary condition.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of the character described including a base or body portion provided with a plurality of openings through which the necks of the bottles may be positioned, and plates or wings connected to the base or body portion for -swinging movement, said plates or wings having notches or recesses formed in one edge to receive the necks of the bottles positioned through the openings in the body portion or base, portions oi the wings or plates overlying the openings in the body portion or base to reduce the diameter thereof and to be positioned for engagement beneath a bead or enlargement formed on the neck of the individual bottles.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of novel means limiting the upward swinging movement of the plates or wings relative to the body portion or base, the plates or wings when in their upwardly swung positions permitting ready insertion of the bottle necks through the openings in the body portion or base and when in their lowered positions supporting the bottles in depending position from the body Portion or base.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction, and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a top plan with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the'direction of the arrows.

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmental details, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the positions of the supporting wings or plates when in raised position for. permitting the passage of the necks of the bottles through the openings in the body portion or base and while in position parallel with the upper surface of the body portion or base for supporting the bottles in carrying po sitions.

In the past it has been the custom, when purchasing beverages in bottles, for the storekeeper to place the bottles in paper bags or the like for carrying by the customer and when the bottles have been in a refrigerator or in a receptacle containing ice, they become wet and necessarily weaken the bag or other container to such an extent that often accidents have occurred, the bottles dropping on the ground, floor or the like 10 and breaking. It has become the custom to provide carriers for a predetermined number of bottles and these carriers have been of such a character that they are adapted to be retained by the customer for returning the empty bottles to the store and for carrying a new supply therefrom. As these carriers are usually formed of pasteboard or other destructible material they cannot for any great length of time and in my present invention I form the carrier of metal or other relatively rigid material and of a material which may be maintained in a sanitary condition. The carrier is relatively simple and inexpensive in make so that it may be sold at a very low figure or may be given away by the storekeeperto his customers when purchasing bottles containing beverages.

In the drawing'l indicates the body portion or base of my carrier which is formed of a sheet of material, preferably metal, and the opposite or wings 5 and 6 are pivotally connected to thebody portion or base I for swinging movement. As quite clearly illustrated in the drawing the 40 plates or wings 5 and 6 extend inwardly from the flanges 2 and 3, over the upper surface of the body portion or base and parallel therewith and the upward swinging movement oi the plates or wings is limited by engagement with the inclined 4: flanges 2 and 3, as shown more particularly in r Fig. 4 of the drawing.

The body portion or base I is formed adjacent each longitudinal edge with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 1 which are of a diam eter adapting the passage therethrough of a bottle neck indicated at 8, provided adjacent its mouth portion with an outwardly directed bead o: enlargement 9. A bottle cap is indicated at 55 Each of the plates'or wings 5 and 6 is formed longitudinal edges-are bent upwardly and inward- V in its inner free edge with the longitudinally spaced notches shown at H and which notches are or a size to provide edge portions [2 adapted the form of a plate having spaced openings adjacent opposite edge portions thereof each to receive the neck of a bottle, an inwardly directed flange formed on each edge portion, and members pivotally connected to the opposite edge portions for swinging movement, the inner edges of said members being notched to partly encircle the bottle necks and to provide portions overlying a portion of each opening in contact with the bottle bearings for pivotally connecting the handle I to the body portion or base I, it being understood that the upwardly extending ears are provided with openings to receive extensions or pro- .lections it formed on the handle.

Normally the wings or plates 5 and 6 extend parallel with the upper surface of the body portion or base I with the edge portions [2 of the notches H overlying portions of the openings I,

formed in the body portion or base. when it is desired to carry bottles the carrier will be so positioned that, if desired, it may pick up a plurality of bottles at one time or the bottles may be individually placed in position. The necks of the bottles are positioned through the openings 1, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, while the plates or wings 5 and 6 are swung into the raised position shown, the upward swinging movement of the wings or plates being limited by the inwardly directed inclined flanges 2 and 3. The carrier may then be raised as a unit or the bottles may be lowered so that the bottle necks assume the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing with the wings or plates 5 and 6 lowered to extend parallel with thebody portion or base and the edge portions l2 of the notches ll overlying the openings 1 and positioned under and in engagement with the bead or enlargement 9 of the bottle neck whereby the bottles are supported suspended from the carrier. The handle ll will be engaged for carryingthe carrier from place-to-place.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bottle carrier including a body portion in the form of a plate having spaced openings ad- 'jacent opposite edge portions each to receive the neck of a bottle, said edge portions being bent to form inwardly directed flanges, and members pivotally connected at opposite edge portions for swinging movement and adapted to overlie a portion of the openings in contact with the bottle necks for supporting the bottles relative to the body portion, upward swinging movement of said members being limited by contact with the edge flanges.

2. A bottle carrier including a body portion in the .iorm 0! a plate having spaced openings ad- Jacent opposite edge portions each to receive the neck oia bottle, said edge portions being bent to term inwardly directed inclined flanges, and members pivotally connected at opposite edge portions for swinging movement and adapted to overlie a portion of the openings in contact with the bottle necks for supporting the bottles relative to the body portion, upward swinging movement of said members being limited by contact with the edge flanges.

8. A bottle carrier including a body portion in 'nected to the eyes for swinging movement and neck for supporting the bottles relative to the body portion, upward swinging movement 0! the members being limited by engagement with the inwardly directed flanges.

4. Av bottle carrier including a body portion in the form of a plate having a plurality of spaced openings adjacent opposite edge portions each to receive the neck of a bottle, spaced eyes formed at the opposite edge portions, and members conadapted to overlie a portion of each of the openings in contact with the bottle necks for supporting the bottles relative to the body portion.

5. A bottle carrier including a body portion in the form of a plate having spaced openings adjacent opposite edge portions each to receive the neck of a bottle, an inwardly directed flange formed on the opposite edge portions, portions of the flanges being formed to provide spaced eyes, and a member connected to the eyes at each edge portion for swinging movement and adapted to overlie a portion of each of the openings in conbeing bent to form an inwardly directed-flange, V

tact with the bottle necks for supporting the bottles relative to the body portion.

6'. A bottle carrier including a body portion in the form of a plate having spaced openings adjacent, opposite edge portions each to receive the neck of a bottle, an inwardly directed flange formed on the opposite edge portions, portions of the flanges being formed to provide spaced eyes, and a member connected to the eyes at each edge portion for swinging movement and adapted to overlie a portion of each of the openings in contact with the bottle necks for supporting the bottles relative to the body portion, upward swinging movement of the members being limited by engagement with the inwardly directed flanges.

'7. A bottle carrier including a body portion in the form of a plate having an opening to receive the neck of a bottle, an edge portion oi the plate and a member pivotally connected to the edge portion of the plate for swinging movement and adapted to overlie a portion of the opening in contact with the bottle neck for supporting'the bottle relative to the body portion, upwardswinging movement oi the member being limited by contact with the edge flange.

8. A bottle carrier including a body portion in the form of a plate having an opening to receive the neck of a bottle, an edge portion being bent to form an inwardly directed inclined flange, and a member pivotally connected to the plate for swinging movement and adapted to overlie a portion of the opening in contactwith the bottle neck for supporting the bottle relative to the body portion. upward swinging movement of the member being limited by contact with the edge GEORGE E. HUTAFF, Ja. 

